Beyond Yesteryear
by kifuku
Summary: Growing up a teenager in a dangerous world, I-Pin knew her future needed to be saved, but not by her era. When she returns to her childhood, will she leave it with no regrets this time? It wasn't the Ten Years Bazooka, but it was the next best thing.
1. Roof

**Beyond Yesteryear**

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyoushi Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira owns it.

_A/N: An introspective look at the other side of events (in the past) of the TenYearsLater Arc disregarding Irie Shoichi's machine. No spoilers if you've watched/read up to the part where TYL Yamamoto disappears. Other than that, please enjoy! :)_

Chapter 1. Roof

Five minutes had long since passed. I-Pin was sure of that. She had been fighting alongside Lambo against those hideous Black spell brothers—the pink-haired one and the bulky blonde-haired one—when Lambo suddenly disappeared in a small explosion. She followed immediately after, enveloped in a large pink cloud hurtling her backwards in time. When I-Pin looked around however, there wasn't hide or hair of Lambo, nor any sign that his younger counterpart had misused the Ten Years Bazooka. And yet here, I-Pin sat alone in the street of the Namimori neighborhood in this current predicament.

The sun was low and would touch the horizon at any moment, which only confirmed I-Pin's suspicions that much more than five minutes had elapsed. When she arrived, the sun peaked just above the roofs of the houses. This wasn't good, she thought, not good at all. But Bazooka or no Bazooka, she needed to find some form of shelter before darkness settled in.

I-Pin stood up and stretched, brushing some dust from herself. She gazed around at the familiar streets and meandered about, reminded of the time before the Negative Trinisette Rays and before the familia's move to the underground Vongola base. There were no Black Spell or White Spell organizations, the Millefiore family didn't exist, and the only thing her Family had to worry about on a day-to-day basis was how to prevent the young Sawada-san from running late to school and in turn getting beaten up by Disciplinarian Officer Hibari Kyouya. I-Pin flushed at the thought of the boy. But, all in all, life was so much easier back when I-Pin was only five.

She smiled sadly at the nostalgia.

Without knowing, she had wandered directly to the front of a certain house, with the nameplate in the front reading, _Sawada_. With a glimmer of hope, I-Pin wondered if Maman could take her in, just until she figured out how to return to the past before her own younger self could get hurt in that tumultuous world. But the little light of hope was smothered when she realized that all the lights in the windows were put out in Sawada-san's house. No doubt Sawada Iemitsu and Sawada Nana were on a well-earned vacation after discovering that practically everyone disappeared. They probably thought that Reborn took them on a trip to Italy or something, I-Pin smiled grimly.

She thought for a brief moment that perhaps she could spend the night at Kokuyo middle school, where Chrome-san and the others resided. On second thought, Namimori middle was just so much more comfortable. With the sun to her back, she walked in the direction of the school, indisputably the largest building in the district. The glass windows glittered in the late afternoon sunlight.

At the front of the school, cherry trees that had once been blooming with pinkish white blossoms in beginning of the school year had now grown dark green leaves, and plump red cherries littered the ground. To the right, a lone fire escape hung, leading all the way to the rooftop. Five-year-old I-Pin had once used it almost daily, climbing up to the second floor and causing mêlée in young Sawada-san's classroom. She would tear after the idiot Lambo and uncollected homework would fly everywhere, desks upturning, while Sawada-san looked on in exasperation. Now, I-Pin grasped the metal rungs and hoisted herself up, ascending to the roof.

With a light tap of her shoes, I-Pin alighted on the roof, the sound echoing across the vast and silent expanse. It was a warm afternoon. The cicadas trilled tirelessly and their drone dulled her senses for one moment. That one moment, she emptied all her worries and didn't give a care in the world as she stared out over the town.

"Access to the Namimori school building is strictly forbidden. I will bite you to death."

I-Pin turned around. That catchphrase that only one person used. Her heart caught in her throat in surprise and a whole other world of emotion at the sight of _him_, Hibari Kyouya. Without the coat draping his shoulders and his armband gone, he looked to an outsider like any other third year in school. If he was not so infamous and if it was not summer vacation, that is.

In hindsight, Hibari had never confronted five-year-old I-Pin, no matter the damage. She sighed in relief, which was only marred by a twinge of disappointment. He didn't recognize her. I-Pin turned her back to him, repressing an unknown flood of emotions that were invading her mind.

Hibari hummed in an irritated manner at this, slid out his tonfa, and advanced towards the girl. A _girl_ was not going to mock Hibari Kyouya. When he struck, I-Pin hopped back just in time. Nearly thirteen years of training with her shishou was not going to go to waste.

"And you?" She inquired politely, "You said yourself no one is permitted on the grounds." Left. Right. Duck. She dodged expertly; her twin braids fluttered at every movement she made.

Hibari smirked. "I'm the school's head prefect. I can do anything I want." This girl was obviously new to town. Her Chinese clothes even showed so. But she was not new to combat. She made no moves to attack, he noticed, only moving to avoid the strikes he sent with his tonfa. It was like an intricate dance as the two whirled across the roof with surprising speed.

I-Pin just smiled pleasantly, which was an unusual reaction considering Hibari's calm glare had just turned murderous. He had her cornered at the fence bordering all the sides of the roof.

Hibari swung from the left and I-Pin quickly flung out her hand to stop it, the metal digging into her palm. She was about to exhale in relief when his other tonfa slammed into her shoulder with painful force. She fell hard against the concrete with the wind knocked out of her and cold steel pressing slightly to her neck.

"What is your purpose here?" Hibari's words came out almost as a feral snarl.

I-Pin shrugged. "The view from this building is nice," she managed to gasp out before regaining her breath. Hibari stared at her pensively for a moment. Then, his thoughts were interrupted by a flutter of tiny wings.

"Hibari! Hibari!" trilled a tiny yellow ball of feathers. Said boy looked up with a tiny gleam in his eye that I-Pin didn't recognize—something akin to affection. He released I-Pin and walked over to the edge of the roof, whereupon the bird nestled into his hair.

I-Pin watched with interest as the little bird began to sing. Not many birds sang, and even fewer can with perfect pitch and enunciation. Then again, only one could have been taught Namimori Middle's anthem. She got to her feet and slowly approached the boy.

"Hibari-san then?" She sat down beside him. "Like the bird, skylark. It's a nice name."

Hibari's eyes slid over to look at I-Pin quizzically. She wasn't joking. They only met not five minutes ago, fought, and Hibari still had yet to figure out if this girl beside him was an herbivore or not. She was pleasant and not suffocating, unlike the girls at Namimori Middle. She was really pretty too, with a petite figure and large eyes that revealed many many emotions all at once. Hibari never really noticed features in people; he only assessed their abilities as a fighter. Looking at her now was so new to him, and yet somewhere in the dark crevices of his mind she struck him as pretty. The girls in Nami-chuu always donned layers of make-up and jewelry, which Hibari would order for to be taken off during spot-check days. That was how she was different. This girl wore none of those; her prettiness was an open kind.

The song ended and Hibari's bird fluttered to the ground between them. Cocking his head to the side at the new arrival, he hopped curiously closer.

"Hello," greeted I-Pin warmly. "Can I call you Hibird?" Hibird twittered happily at the name, his wings flapping excitedly. I-Pin beamed, until she realized her mistake. "Oh, the name sounded a lot like Hibari... I thought it was cute..." She added very hastily, turning to Hibari. "Does he go by another name?" She asked it knowing the answer, but all the same as reassurance. It wouldn't do to have Hibari suspect anything about this particular 'stranger'.

"No, his name's Hibird."

I-Pin let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Reaching out a slender finger, she stroked Hibird, who chirruped in delight. "Hi Hibird, I'm I-Pin."

Hibird learned the name instantly. "I-Pin! I-Pin!" he chorused and flew to her shoulder.

"Hibird likes you," commented Hibari, watching curiously. I-Pin just nodded as Hibird broke into song again.

The sun was only a golden sliver now, tinting the sky in red, pink, and purple hues. I-Pin cast a furtive glance at Hibari, whose face was illuminated and every contour sharper in the light. I-Pin glowed bright red herself and hugged her knees tight to her chest. It was a good thing her master had resealed the Pinzu Time Bomb. As the last of the sun set behind the hills past Namimori, the evening settled in. The muggy Japan air stayed, but the impending darkness made it feel relatively cooler. I-Pin closed her eyes and was vaguely aware of the boy beside her yawning. Then Hibird nipped her finger affectionately.

"Mm, thanks Hibird," she muttered drowsily, "You saved my life. If not for you..." her mouth opened in a wide yawn, "...I might have been bitten to death."

* * *

_Thanks so much for getting this far! I'm coming out with more chapters, so until next time!_

_On a note of randomness, _

_If by now you don't know what Hibari_ 雲雀 _means, feel free to smack yourself :)_

_Please share with me your thoughts so far on this story! __Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. I'm in your care :D_


	2. Definition

**Beyond Yesteryear**

By kifuku

Disclaimer: In no way do I own Katekyoushi Hitman Reborn! which is by Amano Akira, a genius of this generation.

_A/N: By all means hate me, detest me, for all the procrastinating I have done. I fail at keeping promises to update and I kick myself quite literally for that. I had to think long and hard about this chapter and I fail all you people by making this only an interlude. However, I do have in mind my next few chapters, so please don't lose interest in this story just yet. Even if I have to take it off and finish it and repost it, I WILL finish this story by all means necessary. That is my promise. I fail, as aforementioned, to keep promises in updates, but this is not a promise of update. This is a promise of completion._

Chapter 2. Definition.

The universe is full of mysterious forces, constantly flowing and ebbing with the time. To succumb to these forces is to become an herbivore, Hibari concluded. There is a force in this world that tugs at the human instinct to group together like lost lambs, solely dependant upon each other and weak without the other. Like that Sawada Tsunayoshi and his dynamite and baseball friend. Thus, his Disciplinary Committee members are not his friends; they are his pawns and nothing else. By definition, a true carnivore stands alone and strong. Hibari has also seen other forces—emotions. They pull at the judgment of humans, leeching onto them and leaving them without conscious thoughts or actions—without reason itself. And those herbivores don't even know it. A true carnivore does not need emotions and is in complete control.

Hibari Kyouya is a true carnivore.

* * *

The clock on the wall ticked each passing second, loud against the silence of the traditional Japanese-styled bedroom. Hibari sat still on the wooden floor to one side, next to a small dresser. Across the room, I-Pin was sleeping peacefully on a futon, her steady breaths rising and falling under the folds of a light cover carefully draped over her. He glanced at her, and then looked down at his hands, holding a small red ribbon.

Honestly, he had no idea what compelled him to bring the girl back to his flat an hour ago. Perhaps it was Hibird's constant nagging the minute he made for the exit door from the rooftop, but he could always handle that well enough. When he had looked back at her, a portion of his conscience strayed far behind the rest of his judgment and refused to return. Then a sudden force was practically dragging him towards her. As a rightful carnivore, he struggled against this inexplicable force, so new and so powerful against him that, try as he might, he was fighting a losing battle. He had lost in the end. His resistance had been futile, and he hated that. He hated the way it could so easily coerce him into doing probably anything, and leave Hibari's struggles helpless against it. He hated it almost as much as he hated losing to the damned pineapple-headed illusionist.

And yet he found that he couldn't direct that anger towards the girl, whose face was relaxed and peaceful in innocent slumber. So he took it out on the frail ribbon in his hand, fisting it and wrinkling the smooth cloth.

It used to be the bow around his most recent Valentine's Day present, from about six months ago. A five-year-old little girl had given it to him wordlessly, and Hibari had accepted it in slight surprise. He vaguely remembered that she was the same girl who would enter Sawada Tsunayoshi's classroom almost daily, chasing after the other brat in cowprint that disrupted class and caused the mayhem. Oftentimes Hibari would take the time to bite the boy to death, but when he couldn't and the silver-haired dynamite boy could not catch the cow brat, the little girl would run up to Hibari, bow in apology, and chase the boy out of the window. Everytime _that_ happened, a subsequent explosion would follow just outside of school grounds, for which Hibari would hold the godforsaken cow kid accountable the next time he entered Nami-chuu.

This year's Valentine was his first one since he became Chairman. Perhaps the girls finally discovered his slightly violent streak. Before he became the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, he received chocolates occasionally from girls who found his harsh coldness... intriguing. They never did know that he didn't like sugary foods. Nonetheless, he would take one bite out of courtesy, and, in return, give a small obligatory token of appreciation to the unnamed girl the following month.

The chocolate the little girl had given him was good, to his tastes. It was homemade with deliberating care, so that when Hibari bit down on it, the chocolate seemed to bite back with a pleasant bitter linger that didn't make it overwhelmingly sweet. He finished the chocolate that day.

That March, Hibari put a little bit more thought into his White Day gift for the little girl. Though he probably did not know that himself, a lesser part of his mind was drawn towards giving the girl something with another meaning altogether, straying from obligation. He decided on a silver bracelet, although she was small enough that it could fit around her neck easily. At times he would wonder what she did with it, but he convinced himself very well not to care, so seldom pondered this anymore.

The ribbon he clutched now was that last remnant of his Valentine's Day gift. He came across it by chance, after having thrown away the box that had encased the chocolate and forgetting about it altogether for a couple months. It had been hiding in one of the drawers to his dresser. Hibari wasn't sentimental, and if it wasn't for a strange force that kept him from dropping the ribbon into the trashbin, he would have thrown it out in a heartbeat. Again, that same force he resented so much. Hibari, however, refused to acknowledge this as emotion or sentiment that herbivores feel-- that would be a sign of weakness.

Hibari stood and strode across the room towards I-Pin's sleeping form. Beside the futon, he gently lifted a loose floorboard and slid the ribbon under, locking it away from sight and thought. I-Pin remained silently sleeping, a loose braid pressed to one side, tickling her cheek and twitching at the slightest breath. As he gazed at her, Hibari numbly reached out a hand, the rest of his body and mind paralysed.

I-Pin's eyes fluttered open.

His hand was inches from her braid, and the sudden movement in the stillness of the bedroom seemed to awaken Hibari's conscious thought. He hesitated before reaching her hair, and pulled back in time to hear I-Pin mutter sleepily, "...Kyouya...?"

Hibari stiffened. How did she know his given name? By chance, she had heard Hibird utter his family name, but he never introduced himself formally to her. His eyes glazed coldly as he scrutinized the girl before him.

I-Pin's eyes cleared of the thick sleep and her mind dispelled the fog that had dampened her own conscience.

"Kyou...kyou...wa...ii tenki desu ne!" she added hastily. Her heart raced and she could feel cold sweat beading along the back of her neck, not only from sleep but apprehension. He can't know who she is. It would blast the time-space continuum out of existence! She glanced tentatively at Hibari, trying very hard not to look particularly guilty.

He blinked and nodded, "Aa. It's past nine o'clock." She must have been too bleary from waking up to know what she was saying. It must have been a mispronunciation on her part. There were an infinite number of reasons why I-Pin could have happened to say his given name, but Hibari chose the most logical and obvious.

With a sigh, he said, "You should return home now. It is late." He didn't know what she was doing on the rooftop of his school, but he won't let her off as easily if she does that again.

Something he didn't recognize flickered across her eyes--a mixture of sadness, loss, and puzzlement. Hesitantly, she looked up at him with feeling slightly less profound, saying quietly, "I'm lost, Hibari-san."

That was why he couldn't recognize her. Hibari didn't know very many Chinese living in Namimori, and he controlled a vast amount of its business and civic establishments. There were only four that he knew of, as a matter of fact. One was a street vendor that wore large robes and sunglasses no matter the weather, and sold delicious pork buns. Another was an elderly couple that lived on the outskirts. At the market one Saturday in early summer he picked up a peach that the old woman happened to drop and she graciously invited him for dinner. When he left the ojii-san and obaa-san commented how "polite that young man was." The last one was the little girl with the braid that lived with Sawada.

Without a word, Hibari rose to his feet and left the room, closing the shoji screen behind him and leaving a perplexed I-Pin sitting idly on the futon. Glancing about the room, she noticed it was pleasantly furnished, though sparse, with a low wooden side table to a corner and a delicate lamp. The walls were painted tastefully of tranquil pine trees and mountain ranges. As she took this in, the shoji screen slid quietly open again and I-Pin looked up to find Hibari, who had changed into an attractive black yukata tied at the waist in a purple obi. In his arms Hibari carried a thin tray painted simply with a bird. Upon the tray a pot of tea and two cups sat and were set upon the floor. I-Pin watched silently as Hibari carefully poured the tea and handed one to her. He closed his eyes and took a sip from his own.

"You will remain here until you find your way, then," concluded Hibari. He was not going to repeat that.

I-Pin, in mid-sip, tipped the teacup too far and scalded her tongue. She bit it to not make any noise, but the tears dotting her saucer-wide eyes and her expression was evident. Reddening, she endeavored to regain her composure again, and the her way of going about that was so comical Hibari smiled inwardly.

"That's," I-Pin managed to gasp, "...a very generous offer. Hibari-san, you need not take that trouble, I can find my way on my own..."

Hibari, with his eyes still closed, set the teacup down. He would not allow any more discussion. "You sleep here. My room is across the hallway to the left, should you need anything."

If I-Pin were to wander about Namimori trying to return to her hometown, it would be trouble to the town, he justified. And he will not let anything disrupt the peace of Namimori.

Their gazes met, and I-Pin held it and muttered fervently, "Thank you, Hibari-san."

Hibari nodded in turn and allowed a small curl to touch the corner of his lips.

_'You are welcome.'_

* * *

"Kyou wa ii tenki desu ne." = 'What good weather today!"

_'Kyou wa' sounded very similar to 'Kyouya,' so I had I-Pin substitute that in nervously. She's from the future, so of course she would know his first name, but to keep up the facade of being Chinese girl from... somewhere... far, she needed to go with that. Sigh..._

_Some other references include the the White Day's gift to I-Pin, which I got from White, by _The Writer Triumphant, _which is a very good one-shot :) and also from that I got the fact that Hibari would return obligatory tokens to the girls who gave him chocolate and that he actually received Valentine's Day gifts from other girls before he became Chairman._

_I don't know if that is actually true, but it was really creative ^^_

_Anyways, little action in this story, but I needed it there to explain the action in further ones :P And I didn't expect it to turn out this long, but I guess it repays for the long inactivity I've been in._

_**Anne: **I'm not sure if you are still following this story, but since you're anonymous, I didn't get a chance to thank you, so Thanks for your comment! It helped me add some explanations that I didn't think need to be explained. Thanks much for the feedback!_

_Well, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter... it's only an interlude. I'll go back to the real "plot," or whatever shreds of it there are, in the following chapters!_

_Again, I really am in your care! _よろしくおねがいします！


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